Yesterday we told you about how selfies are probably contributing to the spread of head lice, which is just a lovely thought, isn't it? Today, we have slightly better news: ugly selfies are the new black.
When Instagram launched a few years ago, the popular thing was to enhance pictures, adding various frames and filters, and generally manipulating images to make them seem 'prettier', but somewhat unreal. Over time, we've noticed less use of filters and more ‘real’ pictures, and with that has seen the advent of the ugly selfie.
These days, we can basically Photoshop ourselves by hitting one filter button, ironing out various imperfections, and making us Insta-ready for our followers. Remember the excitement when Mayfair hit the scene? Now apparently, everyone is just sick of trying to look perfect.
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Popularised by the likes of Miley Cyrus’ tongue and Cara Delevingne’s silly faces, the ugly selfie has less pressure attached, is less serious and shows you are not afraid to be yourself, which is ironically more attractive than a perfectly-posed ‘pretty’ shot.
According to the New York Times, Jennifer Lawrence has also played a part in the authenticity of selfies, and has a hugely popular Tumblr dedicated solely to her expressions. Meanwhile, filmmaker Cynthia Wade investigated the growing trend in her documentary Selfie, which debuted at Sundance in January.
‘I think girls are tired of [trying to look flawless],’ Wade said in an interview with the New York Times. ‘They're suddenly much more willing to embrace the ugly or ironic.’
It seems part of the attraction of the ugly selfie is that it takes mere moments. You don't spend an hour choosing filters and figuring out what makes you look most perfect, you just go, ‘OK, that is horrendous. Perfect!’, hit ‘share’ and give all your friends a laugh. And the best part is, since this type of selfie is generally a solo shot, you won’t get nits doing it.
Pictures: Instagram
This article originally appeared on The Debrief.